Controversial Nazi Items Removed From Canadian Antique Market

Every few months, it seems, articles similar to this one appear where there is a public outcry over items that are being sold at an antique shop or flea market.

Nazi items removed from St. Jacob's antique market
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/nazi-items-removed-from-st-jacob-s-antique-market-1.2517528

Apparently the items were ultimately removed after intense public pressure.

What are your thoughts? If some items should be removed from public view, where is the line drawn? If Nazi items are removed, should Confederate items also be removed? How about colonial items from the world powers (Great Britain, France, Spain, among others), surely people in India suffered greatly under British rule?

Personally it is my opinion that these items are our history and that we should not try to whitewash history by removing items. Many rulers and nations committed tremendous atrocities and there would be little history left if we removed them every time a person or group were offended.

Eagerly awaiting your thoughts.

 

I am offended by those who are opposed. Remove them from my sight.

 

Those people won't be history soon enough....

 

I can't wait for the day that someone somewhere tries to sell an Isis flag...

same conversation will ensue !

 

Nazi stuff makes my skin crawl, Confederate too, but I don't object to someone else selling it. It's history and shouldn't be swept under a rug or behind a closed door.

 

I understand why somebody would sell them... I just wonder who would buy them?
No offense to anybody who would or has, however. Maybe there are historical, wholesome, or meaningful reasons. Maybe a Holocaust victim's family would want an item in order to celebrate victory over the Nazis.

 

aybe a Holocaust victim's family would want an item in order to celebrate victory over the Nazis.

I don't think it works that way !

 

I have one item, an SS switchblade, it was there at a G sale, cheap, and I bought it.
When I come across it again I will sell it.

 

I feel like there can be some fine distinctions depending on exactly what is going on. I don't object to preserving items so that history is not forgotten, but I don't approve of glorifying atrocities.
And symbols are not in themselves evil, such as old Native American items with what looks much like a swastika.
But I do object to making repro Nazi daggers so that would-be neo-Nazis can swagger with them. Or web sites that feature pictures of atrocities so that perverts can ogle them.
I find it understandable that ebay would ban sales of some items, just to stay out of the controversy and avoid breaking laws of various countries.
And I agree generally with the police statement that "Police say there is nothing illegal about the sales since they were being sold as historical artifacts and not to promote hate" but it is not always easy to determine which is the case.
So am I waffling? Yes.

 

Sorry, Professor, the remark about Holocaust victims may have been silly. I was honestly just trying to fathom why somebody would want that stuff, other than to re-sell... I apologize for saying that.

 

I read alot lately about how just a few "offended" people can cancel out the views and actions of millions. Crazy how this so called "LAND OF THE FREE" country has been shut down!

 

Very well said, although the Union did horrible things to Confederate soldier prisoners also - I never hear , the poor confederates what they had to put up with! It's history - wars and killings have been going on since humans populated the earth - and probably will go on till God says "enough is enough!"

 

Precisely. The only Nazi items I ever had were postage stamps collected by my late father during WWII (sent to a friend from an uncle on the Eastern Front) and a butter knife from a mess hall. I ditched the butter knife as fast as possible , sold it for a dollar, and the stamps went to a collector. I've never had any Civil War stuff to worry about, sadly since my great-great grandfather was a soldier in the Union army.

 

I totally agree.
Political correctness has gone too far in too many areas of our society.

The world has history, some good and some not so good. To destroy documents and items that show what was wrong with society at that point in time is in itself a crime.
How do you feel about ISIS destroying all those ancient ruins?

Do we close Salem because they burned women as witches?
Do we get rid of Plymouth rock because that was the invasion into the Native American land?

What about black people who collect items from the days of slavery. Do we deny them their heritage by no longer selling slave related items.

We may not agree with how history came to be, but we do not have the right to get rid of what was, so that we can re write it in a way that pleases our sense of morality.

 

Indeed - (being sarcastic) but thank God Nikki Haley got rid of that Confederate flag cause that sure stopped all the shootings in Chicago! I will not say anything more - I like antiques, not politics!!

 

It is history. Banning the items and destroying the items, won't change anything. If we sweep it under the rug, it still happened. I don't see why the items should be banned. People who fought in WWII or collect WWII must want Nazi items for their collection since that was the main focus of the war. Why don't they ban Japanese items since they were responsible for bombing Pearl Harbor? Political correctness and people who are offended are chipping away at our freedom a little bit every day. Personally, I would not want to possess anything like this but I would not deny someone else selling it or collecting it. It's our history whether we like it or not.

 

So well said!!!!

 

This woman has it right - listen to the whole video before jumping to conclusions! She hits it right on the head!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

seems you like politics too..........